This invention relates to the field of human-computer interface techniques for a group (one or more) of people simultaneously interfacing to a computer.
In more recent years, a considerable amount of work has been accomplished to facilitate one-on-one interaction of a human and a computer. This interaction is bi-directional, human-to-computer and computer-to-human. The present invention relates to the human-to-computer direction.
Devices which are commonly used for this purpose include the computer keyboard, mouse, light pen, track-ball, microphone, retroflective device, and, through the MIDI communication channel, a wide variety of musical instruments.
In the situation where the audience controls the course of action being sensed or viewed by the audience, common techniques utilized are wired seats, radio transmitters and retroflective devices. As a representative example of the latter mentioned device, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,604 for Method and Apparatus for Audience Participation by Electronic Imaging.
Electronic signaling devices used by a participating audience usually consists of buttons, switches, dials, etc. which are hard wired to the audience seats for manipulation by the people occupying the seats. Other methods for audience participation utilize retroflective devices which are illuminated from a light source and viewed by a video camera, as disclosed in the aforereferenced patent.
In yet other such audience participation systems, radio transmitters are utilized, however this procedure is relatively expensive.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for interactive audience participation which utilizes audio command signals transmitted by the audience, thereby eliminating the requirement of expensive transmitters, hard wiring to audience seats, or the necessary requirement of extra hand held devices, such as retroflective signaling devices.